The invention pertains to a device for transporting and maintaining the temperature of meals.
Devices of this type are primarily used in institutional kitchens of hospitals and factory cafeterias in which the given meals must be transported from the kitchen to the respective patient supply stations or issuing stations. It is very important to keep the meals which are prepared at different temperatures warm during this transport. During the transport to the respective issuing stations the hot meals are usually placed in suitable transport carts and covered by a metal or plastic dome, in the following also referred to as a cloche. Such transport carts are sufficiently known to the expert and usually consist of a metal cabinet into which several trays may be inserted one atop the other. However, it has been established that the heated meals cool in an undesired fashion during the transport despite being covered by a cloche.
This is the reason why it has already been suggested to reheat the transported meals in a suitable cabinet. However, this process is exceptionally complicated and impractical for different reasons. The meals prepared at different temperatures may not be easily reheated individually, and the reloading of the individual trays is connected with additional labor. The reheating of once-prepared meals is for physiological reasons unacceptable since the reheating of the meals may lead to oxidations or the formation of toxic substances.
This is also the reason why different countries have enacted legal regulations concerning the storing of prepared meals. Specifically, these ordinances prohibit the cooling of meals to a temperature below 65.degree. C.